


The Day Before Everything Else

by Nope



Category: Crimson (Comics)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-08-14
Updated: 2003-08-14
Packaged: 2018-10-31 18:10:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,568
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10904676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nope/pseuds/Nope
Summary: Alex has been dreaming lately.





	The Day Before Everything Else

_He opens his eyes, sees nothing; deep, dark, empty; hole for a world; like blindness. No floor, no walls, no sky. He drifts; strange tide; whispering like water, deep, vast waters moving, falling in sunless caverns; he drifts. Without direction. Without time. Slow spiralling down.  
  
Then:  
  
Change; subtle; a thickening; textured darkness, more velvet now than silk; a scent, thick, strange metallic spice, old, unique; motion, black against black, and a presence, an embracing weight, close, flesh so close to flesh, small hairs brushing; heat of breath on his neck; and a turn: of him, of her, of the world, and:  
  
Black against black; ink hair and flinted light, on him, in him; pale rising curves of translucent cream; a flick, sharp tongue on too red lips and she: stretching in the heat, in the darkness, swaying, fingers sliding, sleek, smooth, and scarlet draped, deep breathing shadow and smirk smiling beneath closed eyes.  
  
The presence of her: itching beneath his skin. His twitching fingers rising to touch; and her, leaning in, lips brushing his ear, opening against him and screaming_ "ALEX!"  
  
"Nnnmph?" (Forcing eyes open, raising head.) "Whu--? Pris?"  
  
"ALEX! HELP! COME QUICK!"  
  
"What? What is it? Stop shouting! What's wrong?"  
  
"Look!"  
  
"What?!"  
  
"Look! There!"   
  
"Where?"  
  
"There, there!" (Pointing, bouncing in place.) "Right there, Alex!"  
  
"...you woke me up for **this**?"  
  
"YES!"  
  
"I thought you'd cut yourself or... something. You know, actually **worth** yelling about, Pris."  
  
"Huh? Are you looking where I'm looking?"  
  
"It's a **spider** , sis."  
  
"Yuh-huh!"  
  
"Jeez."  
  
"But, Alex...!"  
  
"I was having this _  
blood red lips on his skin  
_ dream--"  
  
"I don't care! Make it go away!"  
  
"You are such a baby."  
  
"Pleeease, Alex?"  
  
"You're, like, six thousand times bigger than it is."  
  
"Well, it's... it's got more legs!"  
  
"Oh! More **legs**! Well that definitely makes it a menace then."  
  
"Hey, don't kill it!"  
  
"Don't kill it?"  
  
"No!"  
  
"You want it gone but you don't want me to kill it?"  
  
(Shaking head, insistent.) "Nuh-uh, Alex."  
  
"...give me that glass -- not the one with your milk in it! Thanks. Come here, little creepy crawly. In here. That's a good bug." Holding the glass up. "Wow, that is pretty big, huh? Look at him trying to get out of there!"  
  
"Ewww!"  
  
"Aw, come on, Sis. Take a look!"  
  
"No! Alex, don't!"  
  
"But he's lonely." (Stalking towards her, waving the glass.) "He just wants a kiss!"  
  
"Don't, Alex!" (Half laughing, half screaming, backing away.) "Get away!"  
  
"Aww, you've hurt his feelings n-- Look--!"  
  
(Sharp intake of breath. Tinkle of breaking glass. Wet splash of milk.)  
  
(Sigh.) "...out."  
  
"... 'm sorry."  
  
"Yeah, whatever."  
  
"I can--"  
  
"No! Leave it, you'll cut yourself. Just--"  
  
"What's going on in here?"  
  
"Daddy! There was--"  
  
"Not now, Pris. Alex?"  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"Nothing?"  
  
"Accident."  
  
"What did you do?"  
  
"What did **I** do?"  
  
"You know what I meant."  
  
"Yeah. Whatever, Dad." (Glancing at Pris.) "Caught a spider. Broke a glass." (Rolls eyes.) "Call out the marines."  
  
(Long silence.)  
  
"I really don't know what to do with you lately, Alex."  
  
"..."  
  
"What's going on with you? Come on, we used to talk."  
  
"Whatever. I've got school."  
  
"Alex. Alex! Come back _here, Alex."  
  
Her lips against his neck, whispers like feathers on his skin: "always been here, Alex. Since the start. Since before it all. Mother of nations. Mother of worlds."  
  
Crimson space; black clots; thick sliding heat. Her fingers on him, embracing from behind; hands sliding on his chest, flesh to flesh; cool swathes; fire lines of scratching nails.  
  
"First made. Queen. Discarded daughter." Tongue licking at the back of his neck, teeth closing against his shoulder. "Expelled, denied, alone; but strong with purpose and will."   
  
Nails digging harder, pulling out gasping moans, slicing open and pulling out; and, fingers against his lips, pressing in; bitter rich copper on his tongue; a flicker, grey face in the red rain; her, spiralling around him, touching, always touching, hands and lips and thighs, rubbing, marking, telling.  
  
"I am the blood and the life, the alpha and omega." A question in his head, on her lips. "Who are you?"  
  
"I'm_ Mister Elder!"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"As sure as I am that you need your beauty sleep, perhaps the middle of my class is not the most appropriate place to do it?"  
  
"...Huh? Uh, I mean, um, sorry?"  
  
(Sigh.) "Inheritance?"  
  
"Stuff you get from dead people?"  
  
"Genetic inheritance. We were talking about biology, Mister Elder. Do try to keep up."  
  
(Muttered:) "Sorry."  
  
"Children exhibit characteristics of each parent. Shape of the face, colour of the hair, eyes, skin. And other, less visibly obvious factors. Blood type. Susceptibility to certain diseases. Genetic conditions. Heart defects. Neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's, Huntington's... A random mix of the best and worst--" (Bell rings.) "--of both parents. And we'll pick this up tomorrow. Read chapters twelve and thirteen, paying especial attention to Mendel. Mister Elder, a word, please?"  
  
(Papers shuffling, desks banging. Slow fade to silence.)  
  
"...Alex."  
  
"Sir?"  
  
"How are things?"  
  
"Sir?"  
  
"Everything okay at home? I know your father's very busy."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"How are things between you and... Julie, isn't it?"  
  
"Fine."  
  
"You know your one of my best students, Alex. I think you have strong potential. But lately... You've been drifting off in class all week. Your grades are slipping. Is there's anything you want to talk about?"  
  
"No."  
  
"I know the exams are coming up. It's okay to get a little... Are you having problems sleeping? Bad dreams?"  
  
"Dunno." (Shrugs.) "Can I go now?"  
  
"...Yes. Chapters twelve and thirteen, Mister Elder."  
  
(Mumbled response. Door opening and closing. Footsteps in the corridor. Then:)  
  
"M'man!" (Hand clapped to shoulder.) "Sleeping on the job! Wassup with that?"  
  
(Stroking chin in thoughtful manner.) "Could it be that Mister C. is duller than death, Hugh?"  
  
"I do believe it could be, Louis."  
  
"His brain clearly shut down in self defence."  
  
(Louis, crowing:) "Three points for the brain!"  
  
"I, alas, heard the entire lesson, and now my brain is mush."  
  
"Your brain has always been mush, Devin."  
  
"Bite me, Hugh. There's only one known solution to this problem!"  
  
"Poontang?"  
  
"...there's only two known solution to this problem!"  
  
"Beer!"  
  
"Okay, there are many solutions to the problem." (Stopping by Alex's locker.) "And we should try each one in turn until something sticks."  
  
"Good plan!"  
  
"I thought so."  
  
(Alex, bored:) "Hughie... Louie... Dewie..."  
  
"Good lord, it speaks!"  
  
"What does it say?"  
  
"Guide us with your wisdom, Master Alex!"  
  
(Hint of a smile, opening locker.) "Shut up."  
  
(Laughter.)  
  
"What we got next?"  
  
"English."  
  
"Math, doofus."  
  
"Who you callin'--"  
  
"Hey, guys." (Pause. Smile.) "Hello, Alex."  
  
"Hey, Julie." (Smile.)   
  
(Awkward pause.)  
  
(Louis, loudly incredulous:) "What, that's it?"  
  
"What's what?"  
  
"'Hello'? 'Hey'? Where's the **smoochies**?"  
  
"Where's the sugar?"  
  
"Where's the greeting fit for the beauty that is our lady Julie?"  
  
"Where's the--"  
  
"Guys! Enough! Sometimes, I swear--" (Apologetic shrug to Julie.) "They only have the one brain between them."  
  
"It's okay... Um..."  
  
"Hey, lady Julie, want to come to the party tonight?"  
  
"Party?" (Not looking away from Alex, shrugging.) "Maybe. Alex... are you okay?"  
  
"Never better."  
  
"Janice said you fell _  
falling away, earth twisting above, infinity below, gravity just a dream  
_ asleep in class."  
  
"Did she. Well, maybe **Janice** should mind her own damn business."  
  
"Alex!"  
  
"So I dozed off. So what? Does everyone have to be on my case about it all the time?"  
  
"I just..." (Shakes her head.) "I'll..." (Takes a step back. Another.) "I'll see you later, Alex."  
  
"Aw, Julie-- Julie, wait!" (Stares after her. Then:) "Fine. What. Ever." (Shoulders bag, glares, slouches off in the other direction.)  
  
"Alex, m'man, we have class."  
  
"Screw 'em."  
  
"The A-man's ditchin'?"  
  
"What's with him?"  
  
"Yeah. Who you and whatchu done with our friend, bro?"  
  
"Are you coming or what?"  
  
(Complicated three way exchange of glances, then:)  
  
"All right!"  
  
"Alex goes _wild, storm blasting around; broken feathers grazing his face; and her, there, always there, lurking in the shadows behind his eyes, hands on him, pressed cold against his warmth; looking with him up through the flames to where beasts turn and wheel.  
  
"What's going on?"  
  
"War. Death. Pay it no attention. Small things shouldn't bother us. Are you thirsty?"  
  
"Thirsty?"  
  
"Can you feel it? Feel me?"  
  
Something bright, brighter than, blurring past, burning past; silhouetted against it, black cloaked, grey skinned, red eyed. She says:  
  
"I'm in you, Alex. In your blood. You and me, boy. We're destined."  
  
Moving now; him, moving easy as looking, no world but the burning and the clanging of swords and the screams and the scales and feathers and teeth and claws and everything moving, always moving around him, and that dark shape turning at his approach, at its approach to him; and her; still whispering; "you and me, you and me"; but quiet now; background; drowned out by the sad grey.  
  
"Child," it says, slow.  
  
"Who are you?"  
  
"The past. The future. An instrument of fate. As you are."  
  
"Me? But I'm just me. I mean, I'm no one."  
  
"You are the_ chosen a better movie."  
  
(Startled awake:) "Huh?"  
  
"So... You play your wits against mine. Me, who commanded armies hundreds of years before you were born. Fools!"  
  
"Man! I can't believe we paid to see this shit."  
  
"Uh, Dewie, mate? We snuck in."  
  
"Yeah, I know that, Louie, I'm just sayin'--"  
  
"You can't believe they paid to see this shit?"  
  
"'Xactly, Hughie."  
  
(Sharply from in front:) "Shh!"  
  
"Don't get your panties in a twist, lady." (Tossing popcorn.)  
  
"Hey, Alex? You with us, boss? Movie's kinda a dozer, huh?"  
  
"Mm... Hugh?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"You ever... I mean, do you ever get the feeling that something _  
chosen, you are chosen  
_ is about to happen?"  
  
"What... like, deja vu?"  
  
"No, I mean, like... like there's something... like you just know something's going to happen?"  
  
"Like when in the movie you know the chick with the big melons is gonna get bit?"  
  
"No!" (Shaking head.) "I mean... like there's this, this thing. This huge thing just, just over the horizon, and you can't see it, but you know it's coming and you-- ugh!" (Throwing a hand up against the sudden light.) "What the hell?"  
  
"Hey! You kids! What are you doing in here?!"  
  
"Shit! It's Jonesy! Run!"  
  
"Oh shit!"  
  
(Feet pounding on sticky carpet.)  
  
"You come back here! Don't think I don't know who you are, punks! Your parents are gonna here about this! Come back here! You're gonna wish you'd never been born!"  
  
(Out on the street, round the corner, collapsing.)  
  
"Wish he'd never been born."  
  
"Don't know what his problem was. We paid for the popcorn."  
  
(Alex tap-tapping further into the alley; otherwise, silence, until:)  
  
"...no we didn't."  
  
"No, we didn't."  
  
(Another pause; breaking into laughter.)  
  
"Shit, did you see his face? The guy was totally purple, man. He keeps that up, he'll have a heart attack."  
  
"Leastways he didn't catch us."  
  
"Said he knew us, though."  
  
"Talk is cheap. Right Alex? Alex?" (Looking around.) "What you doin'?"  
  
"Looking at this."  
  
"He's perusing the merchandise, is what." (Smoke rough, stretched; per-oo-zin' tha moichendize.)  
  
"What's with the old lady?"  
  
"She's selling stuff. Look. They're pretty cool."  
  
"In an alley?"  
  
"Everyone gotta be somewhere, boy."  
  
"Er, yeah."  
  
"I like this. Gonna get Julie a present."  
  
"Dude, no way, she stinks. Let's just go. You can grab something on Main Street."  
  
"No way." (Jerking head at the mat.) "Hey, how much is the necklace?"  
  
(Touching one.) "Jade bead?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"You got five bucks?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
"Got ten?"  
  
"I've got five, lady."  
  
"Five it is." (Eyes suddenly sharp, focused, narrowed.) "Do I know you?"  
  
"No."  
  
"...No. Guess I don't. Not yet, anyways. Heh." (Holds out the necklace. Keeps hold when Alex takes it.) "You take care of that girl of yours, boy."  
  
"Uh, yeah--" (Alex pulls necklace free, stumbles. Looks back up.) "...huh? Where'd she go?"  
  
"Who cares? Can we go?"  
  
"Sure. Where's the others?"  
  
"Guys! Hey, guys! GUYS! Come see who we found!"  
  
"What? What are you-- Oh!"  
  
"Alex."  
  
"Julie! What are you doin' here?"  
  
"Why shouldn't I be here?"  
  
"I didn't mean it like that!"  
  
"Well, what did you mean?"  
  
"I just, I meant... Why are you--?"  
  
"I live just down there. Remember?"  
  
"Yeah. I-- Look, about earlier--"  
  
"Forget it."  
  
"No, I'm-- I mean, I'm sorry. I didn't-- I don't know _  
chosen  
_ what, I... I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean to snap at you."  
  
"Alex... it's okay."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Yeah." (Reaching out to touch his hand.) "You know you can talk to me, right?"  
  
"I know." (Taking her hand. Smiling.) "Hey! Guess what? No, close your eyes."  
  
"Alex."  
  
"Hold out your hand. Here. Now--"  
  
"HEY! YOU BOYS!"  
  
"What the--?!"  
  
"I SEE YOU!"  
  
"Holy--! It's Jonesy!"  
  
"Of all the luck!"  
  
"How'd he get-- Shit! Run for it!"  
  
"Alex-- what?"  
  
"Come on! Alex!"  
  
"Sorry, Julie! See you later!"  
  
"Alex!" (Laughing.) "Wait!"  
  
"Come on! Leg it!"  
  
"COME BACK HERE YOU LITTLE--!"  
  
(Yelling after:) "Thanks for the necklace!"  
  
(Laughing; feet _pounding, giant heartbeat boom, all around; and an echoing laughter, sandpaper on his skin; and the Word: "and the world was judged unclean, and so she set forth a flood to purify it in darkness; and she moved among them, that they would see her, and know her, and worship her; and she saw that it was good; and her son walked at her right hand, bright and furious."  
  
"I'm not your son."  
  
"Of course you are, boy. Don't you know me? I am the Mother of Monsters."  
  
Red Woman dances, always; black and crimson rhythm; Grey Man speaks:  
  
"In the dark places, I have sought your name, Alex Elder, in the blood of sacrifices and on the tongues of wise men."  
  
"I'm just a boy."  
  
"You are the spark; to be breathed on; to restore to a new life."  
  
"Why? Why me?"  
  
"Grace. Innocence."  
  
"Please. No."  
  
"I will shape you to your task."  
  
"Please!"  
  
Red Woman swirls between; mouths "dance with me" silently; twirls away; he shakes his head, hard; Grey Man stands, waits, silent. All is_ silence.)  
  
(Opens his eyes. Stares at the ceiling. Sits up. Looks around room. Gets up. Bounces on his feet. Paces. Messes with hair in front of mirror. Stares out of the window. Stares into his closet. Changes his top. Stares into the mirror. Changes his top again. Sits down. Gets back up. Paces.)  
  
"Screw it."  
  
(Cracks open door. Listens. Silence. Steps out. Moves slowly down the steps. Avoids the creak. Moves down the hall, past the study door. The front door is right there. Thirty steps. Twenty. Ten.)  
  
"Alex?"  
  
(Freezes.)  
  
"Alex. _  
everything happens for a reason, Alex, everything  
_ Could you come in here, please?"  
  
(Sighs. Turns around. Opens the door of the study.)  
  
"Yeah, Dad?"  
  
"Come in, please."  
  
(Looks at three of them, arranged before him.)  
  
"...What's _  
meant to be  
_ going on?"  
  
_"Everything, Alex."  
  
The fight is inevitable. Everything is inevitable. Everything that is. Everything that follows. It's just the way it is. The future blooming on the roots of the past. Like flowers. Like a white roses, strung out on the vine. Everyone on strings. Puppets on razor wire. Strung up for the amusement of the crowd. And it hurts. Hurts when his friends are torn from him. Hurts when Rose's drives teeth like nails into his skin. There is such a terrible pain till the last, till he is held, cradled in large, old, powerful hands, looking up into that sadness as everything collapses into darkness, compressed down to a single point of bloody blackness and the question:  
  
"Is it over?"  
  
Ekimus makes no reply._


End file.
